Tips for booking/flying Ryanair.
Discussion
I echo the warnings about hand luggage weight and size. They run it as a racket. Even if it is regulation size, if you are a gram over 10kg they relieve you of your hand luggage as you are about to board the aircraft and slap you with a £50 'fee'. I regard this as nothing less than extortion. If you MUST fly with this cowboy outfit I strongly suggest you buy a very cheap luggage scale off eBay and use it to meticulously weigh and check the weight of your cabin case. It's a great feeling when they lick their lips in anticipation of a mugging and find the bag/case is under 10kg (which is feck all).
It's an appalling "rogue trader" practice. Especially as they their official policy is to encourage people to travel only with hand luggage and Easyjet allows you unlimited one item hand luggage weight as long as it fits the measuring basket and can be lifted with two hands.
It's an appalling "rogue trader" practice. Especially as they their official policy is to encourage people to travel only with hand luggage and Easyjet allows you unlimited one item hand luggage weight as long as it fits the measuring basket and can be lifted with two hands.
Edited by audidoody on Friday 20th April 12:21
I have found Ryanair generally ok, until the last time I booked with them when they cancelled my outbound flight and moved me onto one about 36 hours later about 6 weeks from departure. They obviously think that they can cancel flights and change schedules at short notice to suit them (ie if they don't have enough bookings)... so if you have to be at your destination that day, think carefully about it!
Hate them with a passion but still use them as they, like hookers and hard drugs for others, serve a purpose.
Play by their rules 100% and don't expect any favours or more than a fixed in place smile and all will be well.
As you have a family with you pay the extra for priority boarding if you wish, although you will be called up first amongst the normal cattle.
Play by their rules 100% and don't expect any favours or more than a fixed in place smile and all will be well.
As you have a family with you pay the extra for priority boarding if you wish, although you will be called up first amongst the normal cattle.
Rude-boy said:
Play by their rules 100% and don't expect any favours or more than a fixed in place smile and all will be well.
They keep changing the rules to catch people out, pick one obscure payment method without a charge, then when frequent fliers get one they change it to another. They will probably not charge for cheques next.Another tip is to check where the airports are, we know Stanstead is nowhere near London, everyone in Copenhagen knows Malmö is in Sweden.
I really don't trust him after the Ash cloud moaning about losses and how it is safe to fly into volcanic dust. I think I will ask the engine manufacturers before some odious man who has found the most profitable way of pissing people off.
They put me off flying in general because if I consider going somewhere I would hate to find they are the cheapest way of getting there. I would rather pay more and go by train.
Yes I agree with all of the criticisms, but as the OP says, at the end of it they,re (mostly) still cheaper than anything else. Just looked to go to Sardinia early May - £10.99 out, no charge for check-in, no taxes, as long as I don't incur any baggage charges, it's £10.99, less than it's going to cost me to get to Stansted! What's to complain about, as long as I stick to their rules and regs, I can travel for the price of a bus ticket.
audidoody said:
It's a great feeling when they lick their lips in anticipation of a mugging and find the bag/case is under 10kg (which is feck all).
It's an appalling "rogue trader" practice. Especially as they their official policy is to encourage people to travel only with hand luggage and Easyjet allows you unlimited one item hand luggage weight as long as it fits the measuring basket and can be lifted with two hands.
Not sure if you realise the space for luggage is quite limited in cabin, particularly overhead and 10kg is quite heavy for a hand luggage, I'm usually close to 5kg on shortish European trips. As far as I know other airlines have similar limits, they may be less "anal" with enforcing it though.It's an appalling "rogue trader" practice. Especially as they their official policy is to encourage people to travel only with hand luggage and Easyjet allows you unlimited one item hand luggage weight as long as it fits the measuring basket and can be lifted with two hands.
Edited by audidoody on Friday 20th April 12:21
rupert the dog said:
Yes I agree with all of the criticisms, but as the OP says, at the end of it they,re (mostly) still cheaper than anything else. Just looked to go to Sardinia early May - £10.99 out, no charge for check-in, no taxes, as long as I don't incur any baggage charges, it's £10.99, less than it's going to cost me to get to Stansted! What's to complain about, as long as I stick to their rules and regs, I can travel for the price of a bus ticket.
Have to agree with this. I travel with them regularly and have never had any issue whatsoever. They are what they are. Most of the problems I see are people having paid their £10 or whatever yet expect Emarites First Class service levels.We flew with them for a family holiday to Gran Canaria (which was fantastic).
After going through check in, and more importantly the duty free, staff were walking down the boarding queue with a card machine. If you were trying to board with more than one bag/ it was overweight at this point/ you couldn't lift it in and out of the metal size-gauge on your own - you had to pay the extra charges on the spot.
Everyone was ramming their perfume/booze/fags into their bags which were then overweight.
We'd all flown with them before but that was the first time I'd seen the post-duty free trick.
I just book the hold baggage in advance and try to carry a near empty bag onboard with me. Travel light!
After going through check in, and more importantly the duty free, staff were walking down the boarding queue with a card machine. If you were trying to board with more than one bag/ it was overweight at this point/ you couldn't lift it in and out of the metal size-gauge on your own - you had to pay the extra charges on the spot.
Everyone was ramming their perfume/booze/fags into their bags which were then overweight.
We'd all flown with them before but that was the first time I'd seen the post-duty free trick.
I just book the hold baggage in advance and try to carry a near empty bag onboard with me. Travel light!
rupert the dog said:
Yes I agree with all of the criticisms, but as the OP says, at the end of it they,re (mostly) still cheaper than anything else. Just looked to go to Sardinia early May - £10.99 out, no charge for check-in, no taxes, as long as I don't incur any baggage charges, it's £10.99, less than it's going to cost me to get to Stansted! What's to complain about, as long as I stick to their rules and regs, I can travel for the price of a bus ticket.
and how are you paying sir?credit card? charge per person and per flight
ryanair's own pre-pay card? 150 quid minimum load, charges to withdraw from it, charges if you leave it on there for 6 months
150 quid is a lot of 10.99 flights - oh and of course it won't work out exactly
Hugo a Gogo said:
ryanair's own pre-pay card? 150 quid minimum load, charges to withdraw from it, charges if you leave it on there for 6 months
150 quid is a lot of 10.99 flights - oh and of course it won't work out exactly
Oddly enough, the charges to withdraw aren't spelt out. I'm trying to get one to within £5 of the flight cost so I can save the £60 credit card charge and write off the fiver difference.150 quid is a lot of 10.99 flights - oh and of course it won't work out exactly
Although the protection afforded by paying with my own credit card is probably worth hanging on to...
http://www.cashpassport.com/1/en/Ryanair/About-Cas...
So a two-week holiday with a daily visit to an ATM costs around £28 in ATM withdrawal fees.
Phrucking shysters. I'll stick to my Caxton card (free everything)
So a two-week holiday with a daily visit to an ATM costs around £28 in ATM withdrawal fees.
Phrucking shysters. I'll stick to my Caxton card (free everything)
Rude-boy said:
Hate them with a passion but still use them as they, like hookers and hard drugs for others, serve a purpose.
Play by their rules 100% and don't expect any favours or more than a fixed in place smile and all will be well.
As you have a family with you pay the extra for priority boarding if you wish, although you will be called up first amongst the normal cattle.
Spot on observation. What you see is what you get. Baffles me that everyone knows what they're about yet there is always someone 'offended' that they are having to pay to have their boarding pass re-printed, for a bottle of water or not aloud to take masses of luggage.Play by their rules 100% and don't expect any favours or more than a fixed in place smile and all will be well.
As you have a family with you pay the extra for priority boarding if you wish, although you will be called up first amongst the normal cattle.
I've been to many places which I couldn't have seen without the likes of Ryanair. Venice being the most recent; £32 return from a local airport.
I'll continue to use them when I need to. A couple of hours of chew is worth it for me. Maybe isn't for others.
I'm just back from a trip to Gran Canaria.
Thoughts
Firstly, they're cheap, which is what attracts most people, personally, I flew with them, as they were the only ones left who had reasonable flight times (2 adults 2 young children).
The wife and I are notoriously relaxed, wandered along to the gate, and whoa! we were pretty much last in the queue. Never mind. Watching people actually run, yes run, to the plane was hilarious. Go grab your seats, if i'm on my own, good luck to whoever wants to sit next to a 4 and 6 year old for 4.5 hours with no parent present.
The minute we stepped on the plane, people shifted about immediately it appeared they'd have to sit next to one of our kids on their own, they didn't have to of course, but any sensible person would, I know I would if I were travelling alone, so I wouldn't bother booking seats, unless you really want to sit somewhere in particular.
I realised late in the day that my bags would be over 15kg, so I got another added the day before at a cost of £80, bit of a stinger. Hand luggage was checked for size (not weight) both outboud and inbound.
I saw one bag get charged, also saw one poor lad almost get charged 140 euros for having his main bag over! He walked away, not sure what he did but he was on the plane later.
Seats are sodding uncomfortable for 4.5 hours, for a couple of hours absolutely fine.
Staff are as helpful as you'd expect.
Toilets were fine.
Plane was clean.
I'd probably use again if the price disparity was big enough.
Thoughts
Firstly, they're cheap, which is what attracts most people, personally, I flew with them, as they were the only ones left who had reasonable flight times (2 adults 2 young children).
The wife and I are notoriously relaxed, wandered along to the gate, and whoa! we were pretty much last in the queue. Never mind. Watching people actually run, yes run, to the plane was hilarious. Go grab your seats, if i'm on my own, good luck to whoever wants to sit next to a 4 and 6 year old for 4.5 hours with no parent present.
The minute we stepped on the plane, people shifted about immediately it appeared they'd have to sit next to one of our kids on their own, they didn't have to of course, but any sensible person would, I know I would if I were travelling alone, so I wouldn't bother booking seats, unless you really want to sit somewhere in particular.
I realised late in the day that my bags would be over 15kg, so I got another added the day before at a cost of £80, bit of a stinger. Hand luggage was checked for size (not weight) both outboud and inbound.
I saw one bag get charged, also saw one poor lad almost get charged 140 euros for having his main bag over! He walked away, not sure what he did but he was on the plane later.
Seats are sodding uncomfortable for 4.5 hours, for a couple of hours absolutely fine.
Staff are as helpful as you'd expect.
Toilets were fine.
Plane was clean.
I'd probably use again if the price disparity was big enough.
No problem flying with Ryanair at all. Money we save doing so rather than going with say Thomson for example pays for at least another holiday every year. Don't forget too, no matter how obnoxious you might think Michael O Leary and Ryanair are he's the most vociferous campaigner against increases in air passenger tax and attacks on aviation by the Greenistas. That benefits everybody, not just Ryaniar passengers.
Last trip to Furteventura: Ryanair about £50. Thomson over £200
IMO know Ryanair's requirements regarding handluggage weight/size and then choose to break them that's your problem not theirs. I think of paying excess baggage charges as a tax on stupidity.
One tip though if you're choosy about where you sit on the plane: Wait around in the centre of the departure lounge not at either end for the gate to be announced. That way you'll never be right at the back of the que.
Oh... and no matter how hungry you are don't ever, ever order a Ryanair Breakfast bap
Last trip to Furteventura: Ryanair about £50. Thomson over £200
IMO know Ryanair's requirements regarding handluggage weight/size and then choose to break them that's your problem not theirs. I think of paying excess baggage charges as a tax on stupidity.
One tip though if you're choosy about where you sit on the plane: Wait around in the centre of the departure lounge not at either end for the gate to be announced. That way you'll never be right at the back of the que.
Oh... and no matter how hungry you are don't ever, ever order a Ryanair Breakfast bap
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